Partially automated equipment for mounting vehicle tires to vehicle wheels is commonly available. Some of this equipment is designed to be used, for example, in an automobile repair shop setting where, for example, low volume tire-wheel de/mounting tasks are common.
Fully automated equipment for mounting vehicle tires to vehicle wheels is also commonly available. Fully automated systems typically employ delivery systems wherein tires and wheels are continually fed to an apparatus which mounts vehicle wheels to vehicle tires. Equipment which is fully automated can easily mount hundreds of tires to wheels in an eight hour work shift.
Although fully automated tire mounting equipment is known, it lacks compactness and it often includes a significant financial investment because of the sophisticated controls, actuators, mechanisms, sensors, and the like that have been traditionally used for manipulating the tires and wheels into position, mounting the tires onto the wheels, and shuttling the tire/wheel assembly away from the mounting machine. The most common automated approach to mounting vehicle tires to vehicle wheels is included (1) fixing the vehicle wheels in a stationary position, (2) partially lodging the vehicle tire over at least an edge portion of the vehicle wheel, and (3) using an installation tool to urge (i.e. do positive work) a remaining portion of the tire bead over an edge portion of the wheel. This urging step has traditionally been carried out by downwardly urging the tire bead over the wheel bead seat by way of an installation tool (e.g. a roller wheel) or the like.
Although the above methods for mounting a vehicle tire to a vehicle wheel are effective, these methods are expensive to implement and require significant factory floor space. The present invention overcomes drawbacks associated with the prior art by setting forth a simple method for mounting a vehicle tire to a vehicle wheel such that only minimal equipment is necessary.